Backlog: Dominionists pray for Toledo

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matthew 6:5

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36

Another old item that I should have posted a couple of years ago. The reader will notice the unbiblical position of leadership occupied by a female "pastor;" the misuse of scripture in the service of a dominionist agenda; the openness to working with non-Christian religions; and the seven mountains of dominion. I don't know what's happened to the spiritual climate of Toledo in the last two years, but I doubt that it's improved. As reported by T.K. Barger of the Toledo Blade, January 2, 2016:

Thursday will be the 179th anniversary of Toledo’s incorporation, and one group will be focusing on the city’s motto, Laborare est Orare, which means “to work is to pray.”

The group members pray in their work, and for the Thursday event they are inviting Toledoans to join them.

At 7 p.m. Thursday at the Parkway Place Banquet Hall, 2592 Parkway Plaza, Maumee, “Toledo Prays,” which emerged from a network of about 40 pastors called Merge, will involve more than a dozen pastors and other leaders of faith who will offer prayers for Toledo.

To get tickets for the free event, go to pray.500k.org.

“The focus on the prayer is faith-in-Christ motivated,” said the

Rev. George Williams of Toledo’s CityLight Church, one of the event organizers. “We’re not necessarily praying for prosperity of our city, although we’re praying for peace and safety, but we’re really praying for people to encounter Christ.

” The Merge network has a vision called 500K, a movement “birthed out of a corporate prayer movement here in Toledo to see every lost soul in Greater Toledo saved,” the pray.500k.org page notes. For Toledo Prays, “We will be praying for the government, families, media, entertainment, and religion,” said the Rev. Barb Herzog. “We’re going to be praying over the seers of influence in our city.”

Pastors Herzog and Williams were asked about the inclusiveness of the prayer time. People of other faiths who want to stand with them are welcome, “but at this point it’s not an interfaith event,” Pastor Herzog said.

Toledo-area Muslims have held peace rallies and common prayer services open to all in response to hateful rhetoric directed against all Islamic people and the Islamist terrorist attacks that they denounce. Members of the United Muslim Association of Toledo recently stood together with Christian pastors from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Toledo and Vicinity, Jewish students from University of Toledo Hillel, and other faith-oriented people to emphasize common bonds.

“Orare” in Toledo has not been limited recently by religion.

Pastors Williams and Herzog said all are welcome at Toledo Prays but, as Pastor Williams put it, “I don’t know if it would be relevant to someone who doesn’t have Christ on the same level.” It will be prayer in Jesus’ name, with their 500,000-souls objective, and Pastor Williams said for Muslims, “Jesus is represented in their scriptures, but not necessarily in the same capacity that the Christian faith does.”

Even so, standing in solidarity with prayers for the city has been and will continue to be a multifaith practice.

Pastor Williams shared another aim for the event, one on an earthly, not heavenly, level: to inspire other communities to have similar prayer meetings and have an impact on the region. “I’d like to see an event like this duplicated on a smaller level, like Sylvania, in a sense of saying as the church community gathered together, let’s pray for the people of Sylvania,” he said.

Prayer maps have been printed by 500K, covering the greater Toledo region from “Bowling Green to Lambertville and Bedford,” Pastor Williams said. Prayer points are marked, and there are prayer spots to fill in, he said.

Besides Toledo Prays, Merge is encouraging participation in a fast that began Friday and will extend to Jan. 21. A fast-ending “Pastor’s Prayer Summit” is planned Jan. 21 and 22 at the Faholo Conference Center in Grass Lake, Mich. See merge.500k.org for details.

The website for the event doesn't seem to exist anymore, but this is what was there in 2016 (bold in original):

Toledo Prays - citywide prayer event

Parkway Place Event Venue, Toledo, OH

Event Description

The motto of Toledo is, "Laborare est Orare.” It is our city seal, but very few know what it means because it is written in Latin. It is an old Benedictine saying, "To work is to pray.” Prayer is at the very core of our city’s foundation. In this hour there is a call going out like never before...A call to pray like its our job. A call to pray as we work. January 7th marks the 179th birthday of Toledo. As we collectively step into a new year, we are calling out to the Body of Christ in this city to join together and pray and to join in unity, as one voice declaring "Toledo is the Lords!"

God's desire is that all would pray and that all would be saved.

Toledo Prays is an event inspired by 1 Timothy 2:1-4:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

As we join together in this New Year, we will be praying for His will be done into the seven spheres of society over Toledo:

Family
Business
Government
Religion
Media
Arts and Entertainment
Education

Please consider making a donation while registering for this event. Doors will open at 6:30p.m.

When
Thursday, January 7, 2016 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EST) - Add to Calendar

Where
Parkway Place Event Venue - 2594 Parkway Plaza Toledo, OH 43537

I recommend the following posts at Herescope on the subject of dominionism:

Where Rick Warren's Disciples Are (November 21, 2006)

The "7-M Mandate" (June 15, 2007)

Seven Apostolic Spheres (June 25, 2007)

Neo-Kuyperian Spheres (June 28, 2007)

"The 'Secret' Mission" (July 18, 2007)

The "Cultural Mandate" (July 23, 2007)

Creating Heaven on Earth (February 14, 2008)

"Reclaiming the Dominion Mandate" (May 7, 2010)

Mainstreaming Dominionism (May 18, 2010)

The Controlling Mythology Underlying the Dominion Mandate (May 21, 2010)

Seven Mountains (June 24, 2010)

The Next Great Awakening. . .
. . . or Great Deadening? (September 20, 2010)

Denying Dominionism (August 26, 2011)

Documenting Dominionism (September 3, 2011)

Who Invented Dominionism? (September 9, 2011)

Ecumenical Quest (January 19, 2016)

I especially recommend the following article, which contains links to numerous other articles on dominionism:

7 Mountain Politics and Theology (February 24, 2016)